Smoker&#39;s appliance



Jan. 15, 1957 R. FOSTER sMoKER's APPLIANCE Filed Feb. 18, 1955 'Y INVENTOR.

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United States Patent O 2,717,449 l sMoKERs `APPLIANCE Lec R. Foster, Berwyn, lll. Application February 18, 1955, Serial No. 489,117

2 Claims. (Cl. 131-256) This invention relates to a smokers appliance, and particularly to a cigarette extinguishing appliance.

It has long been known to provide a smokers appliance having a substantially vertical opening into which the lighted end of a cigarette can be inserted in order to extinguish the cigarette. Although the appliance of this invention operates on this principle, it incorporates certain advantages of construction that make it more usable, versatile and better adapted to the needs of the -average smoker than do prior appliances of this same general nature.

The smokers appliance of this invention which may be used to extinguish cigarettes may be mounted on a generally horizontal or on a generally vertical surface as desired. Furthermore, the cigarette receiving portion of the appliance is preferably downwardly tapered in order to make intimate contact with and slightly compress the lighted end of the cigarette when it is inserted into this portion. Furthermore, this cigarette receiving portion or opening is preferably open at the bottom as well as the top so as to prevent cigarette ash from from obstructing this opening.

The cigarette receiving portion of the appliance also preferably has its edge shaped to include a plurality of concave portions for supporting a cigarette.

In the preferred construction the appliance includes a plurality of cigarette extinguishing members substantially symmetrically arranged around the appliance.

The smokers appliance of this invention will be described as related to the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a smokers appliance embodying the invention, removably mounted in an ordinary ash tray. i

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan View of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional elevation, taken substantially along lone 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional elevation, taken substantially along line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the appliance adapted for mounting against a vertical surface.

Fig. 6 is an end elevational view of the appliance of Fig. 5.

The smokers appliance of this invention comprises a base 10 and a pair of cigarette extinguishing members 11 attached thereto. The bases 11a of the members 11 are substantially even with the top of the base member 10 so as to describe an essentially T shape in cross section, as is illustrated in Fig. 4. The upper portions 11b of the cigarette extinguishing members extend upwardly above the top of the base member 10 and have the shape of upwardly extending tubes.

The cigarette receiving portion of each cigarette extinguishing member 11 has a generally tapered well llc extending from top to bottom of the member 11 and tapering downwardly. The bottom end of this opening 11e` is open and each opening 11e is adapted to receive a cigarette 12 in the manner shown in Fig. 4. As shown here, the tapered well 11c compresses the lighted end 12a of the cigarettewhen this lighted end is inserted into the opening. Any loose ash on this end can drop through the open bottom ofthe well 11c. Because of this compressing of the lighted end of the cigarette, close contact is made with the walls of the cigarete extinguishing member 11 so as to conduct heat away from this lighted end with great efficiency and rapidity. Actual tests have shown that a cigarette will be extinguished in this manner in less than tive seconds.

The top edge of each upper portion 11b of a cigarette extinguishing member 11 is provided with a plurality of concave portions 11d. These concave portions are preferably arranged in the manner shown in Fig. 2 so as to be paired in diametrically opposite pairs. One of these pairs on one cigarette extinguishing member 11'is preferably linearly aligned with another pair on the other member 11 so that the four concave portions 11d cooperate to support a cigarette placed horizontally across the tops of these members 11. A pair of these concave portions are also preferably arranged diametrically opposite to each other transversely to the four aligned ones so that the two members 11 may also be used to support a pair of cigarettes arranged substantially parallel to each other.

In the embodiment shown, there is also provided a mounting member for releasably attaching the base member 10 to a surface. This mounting member includes a fiexible suction cup 13 of ordinary construction including an upwardly extending threaded screw 14 having an enlarged head 14a embedded in the base 13a of the suction cup, with the threaded stem 14b of the screw eX- tending therebeyond.

When the appliance is to be mounted on a substantially horizontal surface, the screw 14 is attached to a threaded first opening 10a in the base member 10 extending upwardly from the bottom surface thereof. When thusly arranged, the appliance may be removably attached to a substantially horizontal member 15 such as the bottom of an ordinary ash tray 16.

The base member 10 of the appliance may be provided with a threaded second opening 10b which extends inwardly from a side surface of the base member. When the screw 14 is in engagement with this second opening 10b, the suction cup 13 is then mounted on the side of the appliance. The appliance may then be attached to an essentially vertical surface 17 in the manner illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. The second opening 10b is located so that the pair of extinguishing members 11 are positioned about equal distances from the vertical surface 17.

Having described my invention as related to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, it is my intention that the invention be not limited by any of the details of description, but rather be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as set out in the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. A smokers appliance, comprising: a base member; and a plurality of upwardly extending tubular members on said base member having their top edges substantially coplanar and spaced above the base member, each tubular member being adapted to receive the lighted end of a cigarette for snufling the same and said top edges having depresesd portions at least four of which being linearly aligned for cooperation in supporting a cigarette laid across said depressed portions.

2. A smokers appliance, comprising: a base member; a plurality of upwardly extending tubular members on said base member having their top edges substantially coplanar and spaced above the base member, each tubular member being adapted to receive the lighted end of a cigarette for snufng thelsammgsaid topedges-having depressed portions at least four of which are linearly yaligned for cooperation in supporting a cigarette laid across said depressed portions; a mounting member for mounting the appliance on a support; and means fonattachinglh mountingN member and the base member. togethersina selected one of a plurality of angularly arrangedpostionsf References Cited in the tile o fthspatent UNITED STATES `PATENTS D;101,312 Ridewood Sept. 22,'1936 n. 151,557 D. A161,292 708,650 1,835,964 2,034,424 2,434,181 2,617,428

4 Th`al Dec. l0, Raine et al. Oct. 26, Silver Dec. 19, Kulicke Sept. 9, Cobb July 26, Southworth Mar. 17, Stevenson Ian. 6, Smereck Nov. 11,

FOREIGN PATENTS France Nov. 13, 

